Jason and Molly
TRIP ITINERARY:
Day -1: London
(We decided to fly into London a couple days before our tour began to get over jetlag, and to see the city.)
Day 0: London to Paris
Day 1: Our tour begins in Paris!
Day 2: Paris
Day 3: Travel to Burgundy's wine capital - Beaune
Day 4: Wind our way to the Swiss Alps
Day 5: Lauterbrunnen Valley
Day 6: Continue our stay in the Lauterbrunnen Valley*
Day 7: Travel to Lindau, Germany, to Liechtenstein, and Imst, Austria
Day 8: Off to Venice!
Day 9: Venice
Day 10: Over to the Mediterranean coast
Day 11: Cinque Terre
Day 12: Down to Rome!
Day 13: Rome and the Vatican City
Day 14: Rome to Toronto to Home
* We were supposed to head to Munich, Germany this day but unfortunately a man decided to open fire at a shopping mall in Munich the night before we were to leave for the city. This shut the city down and our tour guide, along with the full support of Rick Steves Tours, decided it was best for us not to head to Munich.
We knew we wanted to see as much as possible so that we could determine where we would want to travel back to in the future, and the only requirement was that Venice had to be on the list (because according to Molly's grandma before she passed away, "You have to see Venice before it is completely under water"), so we decided a Rick Steves Tour was the way to go. Less hassle for us, and more enjoyment while traveling!
Our dog Kaya
avoid some of the mistakes we made.
If you simply want to take in the beauty of all that we saw, visit the Gallery page and enjoy!
Two Weeks in Europe...
and Our Marriage Survived
We are Jason and Molly Mellema from mid-Michigan. We were married in the summer of 2013, are in our 30s, and wanted to take a big trip prior to having kids (beyond our dog Kaya, of course). Europe was our pick.
But how to choose which cities to see? Places to go?
Things to do?
BY THE NUMBERS
Countries visited = 7
Miles traveled = 9,824
Total miles walked = 160+ each
Souvenirs purchased = 12 (8 were Christmas tree ornaments, one from each city)
Museums, churches, and historical sites visited = over 30
Bottles of wine consumed = Who can remember?
Times we got lost = "Zero, we merely found a new adventure." ~Molly
Friends made = 23+ (our tour group, guide, bus driver, and various servers, tourists, etc. along the way)
Memories made = Too many to count!
After reviewing the plethora of tour options, we determined the Europe My Way in 14 Day tour was our best bet. (I would have preferred the 21 Day tour but vacation days dictated this decision.)
We finally decided on the My Way option because we were more interested in seeing the architecture of the cities and being active outside as opposed to seeing the insides of museums. We wanted the autonomy to make these decisions on our own. However, the Rick Steves audio app came in handy on several occasions. Be sure to download it prior to your trip!
Ultimately we are so thankful we decided on a Rick Steves Tour and can't believe the amazing experience we had!
Please join us in reliving our tour via this digital scrapbook. Click the links above to learn more about the cities we visited and the experiences we had.
Those interested in taking a European vacation, be sure to look over our "Travel Tips" to maximize your experience and
ABOUT US
The Colosseum in Rome
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta